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United States Patent |
5,781,967
|
Domenig
,   et al.
|
July 21, 1998
|
Self mounting adjustable hinge with D-shaped opening
Abstract
An improved self mounting adjustable hinge which simplifies the
pre-installation of a door on a frame resulting in greater efficiency and
reduced costs associated with the production of furniture articles such as
cabinets, desks and the like. The improved adjustable hinge includes a
hinge cup mountable to a door, a hinge arm connected at one end to the
hinge cup and a hinge plate connected to the other end of the hinge arm
which includes a substantially D-shaped opening for mounting the hinge
plate to the frame and securing the door to the frame. The D-shaped
opening in the hinge plate is specifically dimensioned to allow a head of
a pre-installed fastening screw to pass through the opening only when the
hinge plate is tilted relative to the screw head.
Inventors:
|
Domenig; Georg (Kernersville, NC);
Moser; Andreas (Kernersville, NC)
|
Assignee:
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Grass America, Inc. (Kernersville, NC)
|
Appl. No.:
|
658734 |
Filed:
|
June 5, 1996 |
Current U.S. Class: |
16/249 |
Intern'l Class: |
E05D 007/04 |
Field of Search: |
16/249,235
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
4506409 | Mar., 1985 | Lautensclager | 16/249.
|
5375297 | Dec., 1994 | Lautenschlager et al. | 16/249.
|
Foreign Patent Documents |
874268 | Aug., 1942 | FR | 16/249.
|
183387 | Jul., 1922 | GB | 16/249.
|
Primary Examiner: Mah; Chuck
Assistant Examiner: Gurley; Donald M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kilpatrick Stockton, Harrington; John M.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A self mounting adjustable hinge for mounting a door on a frame having a
pre-installed fastening screw, said hinge comprising:
a. a hinge cup mountable to a door;
b. a hinge arm connected at one end to the hinge cup;
c. a hinge plate formed at the other end of the hinge arm, said hinge plate
having a substantially D-shaped opening in the hinge plate for receiving a
pre-installed fastening screw.
2. The self mounting adjustable hinge as claimed in claim 1, said
substantially D-shaped opening being dimensioned to allow a head of a
pre-installed fastening screw to pass therethrough only when the hinge
plate is tilted relative to the screw head and whereby tightening the
fastening screw securely affixes the hinge plate to the frame.
3. The self mounting adjustable hinge as claimed in claim 2, said
substantially D-shaped opening being dimensioned to allow adjustment of
the hinge plate in the vertical direction prior to tightening the
fastening screw.
4. An adjustable hinge for mounting a door member on a supporting frame,
the supporting frame including a pre-installed fastening screw having a
screw shaft and a screw head, wherein said fastening screw is partially
driven into the frame with the head and a portion of the screw shaft
extending above the surface of the frame, said adjustable hinge
comprising:
a. a hinge cup mountable to the door member;
b. a hinge arm connected at one end to the hinge cup;
c. a hinge plate connected on the other end of the hinge arm, said hinge
plate have a substantially D-shaped opening formed in the hinge plate
adapted to receive therethrough the screw head of the pre-installed
fastening screw.
5. The adjustable hinge as claimed in claim 4, wherein the width of said
D-shaped opening is less than the diameter of the screw head and is
slightly larger and substantially equal to the diameter of the shaft.
6. The adjustable hinge as claimed in claim 5, wherein said D-shaped
opening is dimensioned to allow the screw head to pass therethrough only
when the hinge plate is tilted relative to the screw head, whereby
tightening the fastening screw securely affixes the hinge plate to the
supporting frame.
7. The adjustable hinge as claimed in claim 6, wherein the length of the
D-shaped opening is larger than the screw shaft, whereby the hinge plate
is adjustable in a lengthwise direction for permitting vertical alignment
of the door prior to tightening the fastening screw.
8. An adjustable hinge for mounting a door member on a supporting frame,
the supporting frame including a pre-installed fastening screw having a
screw shaft and a screw head, wherein said fastening screw is partially
driven into the frame with the head and a portion of the screw shaft
extending above the surface of the frame, said adjustable hinge
comprising:
a. a hinge cup mountable to the door member;
b. a hinge arm connected at one end to the hinge cup;
c. a hinge plate connected on the other end of the hinge arm, said hinge
plate have a substantially D-shaped slot formed in the hinge plate; and
d. a pass through entry opening in the D-shaped slot, said entry opening
defined by tilting the hinge plate relative to the screw head whereby the
screw head of the pre-installed fastening screw passes therethrough.
9. The adjustable hinge as claimed in claim 8, said D-shaped slot having a
width slightly larger and substantially equal to the diameter of the shaft
of the fastening screw, wherein tightening the fastening screw securely
affixes the hinge plate to the supporting frame.
10. The adjustable hinge as claimed in claim 9, wherein the length of the
D-shaped opening is larger than the screw shaft, said hinge plate being
adjustable in a lengthwise direction for permitting alignment of the door
in a vertical direction prior to tightening the screw.
11. In an adjustable hinge having a hinge cup mountable to a door, a hinge
arm connected at one end to the hinge cup and a hinge plate connected to
the hinge arm at the other end, an improvement comprising a substantially
D-shaped opening in the hinge plate for receiving a pre-installed
fastening screw.
12. The improvement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the width of the
D-shaped opening is less than the diameter of the head of the fastening
screw and substantially equal to the diameter of the shaft, whereby
tilting the hinge plate relative to the screw head allows the screw head
of the pre-installed fastening screw to pass therethrough.
13. A method for mounting a door to a frame using an adjustable hinge, said
hinge including a hinge cup, a hinge arm connected at one end to the hinge
cup and a hinge plate connected to the other end of the hinge arm, said
hinge plate having a substantially D-shaped opening, the method comprising
the steps of:
a. pre-mounting the hinge on the door by affixing the hinge cup in a
pre-drilled bore hole in the door;
b. pre-installing a fastening screw to the frame wherein said fastening
screw is partially driven into the frame with the head and a portion of
the screw shaft extending above the surface of the frame;
c. positioning and aligning the substantially D-shaped opening of the hinge
plate over the head of the fastening screw;
d. tilting the hinge plate relative to the screw head whereby the screw
head of the pre-installed fastening screw passes through the opening; and
e. tightening the fastening screw to securely affix the hinge plate and
supported door to the frame.
14. The method for mounting a door to a frame as claimed in claim 13, said
method further comprising the step of shifting the hinge plate lengthwise
along D-shaped opening to vertically align the door with the frame prior
to tightening the fastening screw.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The subject invention is generally related to adjustable furniture hinges
and is specifically directed to a self mounting adjustable hinge for
mounting a door on a frame which includes a hinge plate with a
substantially D-shaped opening for quickly and easily affixing the hinge
plate and door to the frame.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Adjustable hinges are known in the art and are typically affixed to a door
at one end and a supporting frame at the other end by fastening screws.
One type of adjustable hinge includes a hinge cup which is mounted in a
hinge cup bore hole in a door and a hinge plate which is subsequently
mounted on a supporting frame. For affixing the hinge plate to the frame,
the prior art hinge plate is provided with a single slotted hole which
enables adjustment of the position of the mounted hinge plate relative to
the frame. Thus, an advantage of the adjustable hinge is that the door may
be repositioned for alignment with the frame after it has been hung on the
frame by vertically moving the hinge plate the length of the slotted hole.
Once the proper positioning is determined, the fastening screw is
tightened. Examples of various types of adjustable furniture hinges are
shown in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,485,656 and 5,414,896 and in U.S. Pat. No.
5,375,297.
In an assembly line for the production of furniture articles, such as desks
or cabinets, after first mounting the hinge cup to the door, it is typical
for one worker to hold the hinge plate and supported door in position on
the frame while another worker inserts a fastening screw into a
pre-drilled hole so that the door is connected to the frame in a
pre-mounting position. Then, in another step, the fastening screw is
tightened to mount the door on the frame. This process is time consuming
and requires more than one worker to accomplish. Various solutions to
increasing the efficiency of this process and thus reducing the costs of
furniture production have been tried. For example, some prior art
adjustable hinges include a hinge plate opening connected to a side entry
channel for receiving the screw shaft of a pre-installed screw or include
a hinge plate with anchoring legs. However, there may be an increased cost
of modifying the hinge as such and the efficiency of the process may not
be substantially increased.
Therefore, there is a need for an improvement in this type of furniture
hinge which permits the hinge to be installed with substantially increased
efficiency and reduced costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The subject invention is directed to an improved self mounting adjustable
hinge for pre-installation of a door on a frame with substantially
increased efficiency and reduced costs associated with the production of
furniture articles such as cabinets, desks and the like. The improved
adjustable hinge includes a hinge cup mountable to a door, a hinge arm
connected at one end to the hinge cup and a hinge plate connected to the
other end of the hinge arm which includes a substantially D-shaped opening
for mounting the hinge plate to the frame and securing the door to the
frame.
The D-shaped opening in the hinge plate of the subject invention is
specifically dimensioned to allow a head of a pre-installed fastening
screw to pass through the opening only when the hinge plate is tilted
relative to the screw head. Because of the unique configuration of the
D-shaped opening, the hinge plate will not fall off the screw once the
screw head has been inserted through the opening and can only be removed
by tilting the plate in the same manner it was tilted to initially allow
the screw head to pass through. Thus, in an assembly line, the hinge plate
and supported door is simply hung on the extending shaft portion of a
pre-installed screw, which is at first only partially driven into the
frame, by slightly tilting the hinge plate relative to the screw head and
slipping the screw head through the D-shaped opening. The hinge plate is
then securely affixed to the frame by tightening the fastening screw.
In the past, it was necessary for one person to support the door in
position with the hinge plate on the frame while another person placed the
fastening screw through a hole in the hinge plate and into a pre-drilled
screw hole and then drove the screw into the frame to fasten the hinge
plate to the frame. While some of the prior art adjustable hinges have
addressed this problem by providing hinges with a hinge plate opening
connected to a side entry channel for receiving the screw shaft or hinge
plates with anchoring legs, none of the prior art discloses a hinge plate
having a substantially D-shaped opening for receiving the screw head of a
pre-installed fastening screw. The improved adjustable hinge of the
subject invention permits a single worker to hang the hinge plate and
supported door on a partially driven screw on the frame in a pre-mounted
position and then affix the hinge plate to the frame by tightening the
fastening screw with no assistance necessary.
In addition to permitting pre-installation of a door on a frame by a single
worker, the subject invention includes all of the advantages of the prior
art adjustable hinges. That is, the length of the D-shaped opening is
larger than the screw shaft which permits adjustment or repositioning of
the pre-mounted hinge plate and supported door in the vertical direction
to adjust the height of the door after the door is hung on the frame but
prior to tightening the fastening screw. While the length of the opening
is larger than the screw shaft, the substantially D-shaped opening has a
width which is smaller than the diameter of the screw head and slightly
larger and substantially equal to the diameter of the screw shaft. Thus,
the pre-mounted hinge plate is not moveable in a horizontal direction and,
when tightened, the fastening screw securely affixes the hinge plate to
the frame.
The subject invention is directed to an adjustable hinge with a
pre-mounting feature which simplifies the procedure for mounting a door on
a frame for increased efficiency of production. In order to install the
adjustable hinge, for example in a cabinet, the hinge is first mounted on
a cabinet door by affixing the hinge cup in a pre-drilled bore hole on the
inside of the door proximate a lateral edge of the door. The cabinet frame
is presented in a horizontal position with the cabinet door opening facing
upward and a fastening screw driven part-way into a pre-drilled screw hole
in the cabinet frame with the screw head and a portion of the screw shaft
extending above the surface of the frame. With the cabinet frame so
positioned, the hinge plate of the subject invention is simply hung on the
extending portion of the screw shaft by slightly tilting the hinge plate
relative to the screw head and slipping the screw head through the
D-shaped opening. The hinge plate and supported door are then securely
affixed to frame by simply tightening the fastening screw. Because the
D-shaped opening is dimensioned to allow the screw head to pass through
the opening only when the hinge plate is tilted, once the hinge plate is
positioned with the screw through the opening, the plate remains on the
fastening screw without the danger of accidently falling off and is
securely affixed when the fastening screw is tightened. Moreover, the
unique D-shaped opening allows vertical adjustment of the pre-mounted
hinge plate relative to the frame prior to tightening the fastening screw.
Thus, in a cabinet making assembly line, a single worker can hang the
hinge plate on the frame, vertically adjust the position of the hinge
plate and securely affix the door to the frame by tightening the fastening
screw, with no assistance necessary.
Therefore, it is an object and feature of the subject invention to provide
an improved self mounting adjustable hinge which simplifies the procedure
for mounting a door on a supporting frame resulting in greater efficiency
and reduced costs.
It is a further object and feature of the subject invention to provide an
improved adjustable hinge having a hinge plate with a substantially
D-shaped opening for receiving a screw head of a pre-installed fastening
screw.
It is another object and feature of the subject invention to provide an
improved adjustable hinge having a substantially D-shaped opening in the
hinge plate which is specifically dimensioned to allow a head of a
pre-installed fastening screw to pass through the opening only when the
hinge plate is tilted relative to the screw head.
It is yet another object and feature of the subject invention to provide an
improved adjustable hinge having a substantially D-shaped opening in the
hinge plate which is dimensioned to permit vertical adjustment of the
hinge plate prior to tightening the fastening screw.
It is a further object and feature of the subject invention to provide an
improved adjustable hinge having a substantially D-shaped opening in the
hinge plate with a width which is less than the diameter of the screw head
of the fastening screw such that tightening the fastening screw securely
affixes the hinge plate to the frame.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an overhead view of an improved, self mounting adjustable hinge
having a hinge cup, hinge arm and hinge plate and including a
substantially D-shaped opening in the hinge plate.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the improved adjustable hinge illustrating
the D-shaped opening in the hinge plate positioned over a screw head of a
fastening screw pre-installed on a frame illustrating the hinge plate
being tilted for passing the screw head through the D-shaped opening.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hinge plate hung on a partially driven
fastening screw on the frame and moveable for vertical adjustment of the
hinge plate.
FIG. 4 is an overhead view of the hinge plate showing the width and length
of the D-shaped opening.
FIG. 5 is an overhead view of the hinge plate with the fastening screw
tightened to securely affix the door to the frame.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the improved self mounting adjustable hinge is
designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and comprises a hinge cup
12 having openings 14, 16 for mounting the hinge cup on a door 20, a hinge
arm 22 connected at one end 24 to the hinge cup 12 and a hinge plate 28
connected to the other end 26 of the hinge arm 22. As shown, the subject
invention includes a substantially D-shaped slot or opening 30 in the
hinge plate 28 for mounting the hinge plate 28 to a supporting frame 32,
such as a cabinet frame around the door opening, and securing the door 20
to the frame 32. The subject invention is specifically directed to an
improved self mounting adjustable hinge 10 for pre-installation of a door,
such as a cabinet door, on a cabinet frame with greater efficiency and
reduced costs associated with the production of furniture articles such as
cabinets, desks and the like.
Prior to installation on the frame, the hinge 10 is first mounted on the
door 20 by inserting screws into openings 14, 16 and affixing the hinge
cup 12 in a pre-drilled bore hole on the inside of the door proximate a
lateral edge of the door (not shown). Also prior to installation on the
frame, a fastening screw 34, having a screw head 36 and a screw shaft 38,
is driven part way into a pre-drilled screw hole 35 in the frame 32 with
the screw head 36 and a portion of the screw shaft 38 extending above the
surface of the frame 32 (see FIG. 2). The substantially D-shaped slot or
opening 30 in the hinge plate 28 of the subject invention is specifically
dimensioned to allow the head 36 of the pre-installed fastening screw 34
to pass through the opening 30 only when the hinge plate 28 is tilted
relative to the screw head 36. In other words, the width W of the D-shaped
slot or opening 30 is less than the diameter of the screw head 36 (see
FIGS. 4 and 5). Thus, when the hinge plate 28 is presented in a horizontal
position relative to the screw head 36, the screw head 36 can not pass
through the D-shaped opening 30. However, by tilting the hinge plate 28
relative to the screw head 36, a pass through entry opening 31 in the
D-shaped slot 30 is defined and the screw head 36 of the pre-installed
fastening screw 34 easily passes therethrough.
The improved adjustable hinge 10 of the subject invention simplifies the
procedure for mounting a door on a frame by eliminating the need for one
person to hold the hinge plate and supported door in position while
another person inserts the fastening screw through an opening in the hinge
plate and into a pre-drilled screw hole in the frame. The improved
adjustable hinge 10 permits a single worker to hang the hinge plate 28 and
supported door 20 on a fastening screw 34 partially driven into a frame 32
and then, securely affixing the hinge plate 28 thereto.
In addition to simplifying the procedure for mounting a door on a frame,
the substantially D-shaped opening 30 of the improved adjustable hinge 10
enables adjustment of the position of the affixed hinge plate 28 relative
to the frame 32. Once the hinge plate 28 is hung on the pre-installed
fastening screw 34, the adjustable hinge 10 and supported door 20 are in a
pre-mounted position (see FIG. 3). As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the length L
of the D-shaped opening 30 is larger than the screw shaft 38 for
vertically adjusting or repositioning the pre-mounted hinge plate 28
lengthwise along the D-shaped opening 30 to vertically align the door with
the frame prior to tightening the fastening screw. While the pre-mounted
adjustable hinge 10 can be vertically adjusted, the width W of the
D-shaped opening 30 is only slightly larger than the diameter of the screw
shaft 38 so that horizontal movement of the hinge plate 28 is prevented.
In an assembly line for the production of furniture articles such as
cabinets, the process begins by pre-mounting the improved adjustable hinge
10 on a door 20 by affixing the hinge cup 12 in a pre-drilled bore hole in
the door. Also, a fastening screw 34 is pre-installed on the frame 32 by
partially driving the screw shaft into the frame with the screw head and a
portion of the screw shaft extending above the surface of the frame. Next,
the substantially D-shaped opening 30 of the hinge plate 28 is positioned
over the head of the fastening screw 34 and the hinge plate 28 is tilted
relative to the screw head so that the screw head of the pre-installed
fastening screw passes through the opening 30. Prior to tightening the
fastening screw 34, the pre-mounted hinge plate 28 is shifted lengthwise
along the D-shaped opening 30 to vertically align the door with the frame.
Finally, the fastening screw 34 is tightened to securely affix the hinge
plate 28 and supported door to the frame
While specific embodiments and features of the invention have been
disclosed herein, it will be readily understood that the invention
encompasses all enhancements and modifications within the scope and spirit
of the following claims.
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